Granite bowling lane



Dec 14 1965 J. L. sTENGEL ETAL 3,223,415

GRANITE BOWLING LANE 2 Sheets-Sheefl 1 Filed June 4, 1962 Dec- 14 1965 J. L.. sTENcsEL. ETAL 3,223,415

GRANITE BOWLING LANE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1962 L lv ,E m6 j E mms N vf/w m m55 T LL. T SD E United States Patent O 3,223,415 GRANTE BWLllNG LANE .lames L. Stengel and Neil D. Lewis, both Dakota Granite Co., R0. Box 269, Milbank, S. Dalt. Filed .lune 4, 1952, Ser. No. 199,963 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-51) Our invention relates generally to bowling lane construction, and more particularly to a bowling lane having a surface of material other than the presently used wood surfaces.

More specifically, our invention relates to indoor ibowling lanes utilizing slabs of granite for the top or working surfaces thereof, in which the granite includes la predetermined percentage of quartz in the composition thereof.

Present day bowling lanes of wood construction have a number of disadvantages even when the best grade of lumber, such as maple, is used in the structure thereof. Not only are such lanes relatively noisy, but they must be treated at regular intervals with wax or other suitable dressing to maintain optimum surface characteristics, and are subject to uneven surfaces warping due to varying conditions of temperature and humidity. Moreover, the extreme wear on the approach deck and pin deck portions of wood lanes requires periodic and costly overhauling or resurfacing thereof. It has been found that the pin deck portions of the lanes Wear out at a much greater rate than the approach deck or lane portions, and must be replaced or rebuilt several times during the average life of the bowling lane.

The increasing shortage of available lumber suitable for bowling lane surfaces is becoming a problem, and many different materials have been tried as substitutes for wood, such as plastics, metals, slate, stone, concrete, and others. These, for various reasons have failed to provide all of the advantageous characteristics of maple surface lanes.

An important object of our invention is the provision of a bowling lane having surface characteristics such as slidability on the approach deck, take or hooking action of a ball on the lane and bounce action of pins on the pin deck when struck by the ball, comparable to fine wood lanes but having none of the disadvantages of wood lanes. To this end, We provide a Ibowling lane construction involving a rigid foundation, supporting members on Sad foundation, and slabs of granite having ground and polished upper surfaces to provide the approach deck, lane portion and pin deck of the bowling lane.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a bowling lane which is capable of extensive use over a long period of time without requiring resurfacing due to wear from action of the bowlers shoes and bowling ball thereon, and due to impact of the pins thereagainst when struck by the bowling ball.

Still another object of our invention is the provision of a bowling l-ane which is impervious to changes in humidity and which has a minimum coecient of linear expansion.

lt is well known to those familiar with bowling lane construction, that wood bowling lanes and the finishing and dressing materials therefor constitute a denite lire hazard; consequently, maintaining re insurance on wood bowling lanes is costly. Hence, another object of our invention is the provision of a bowling lane wherefn the danger of damage by tire is reduced to a minimum.

Patented Dec. 14, i965 The above, and still further highly important objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in plan of a bowling in accordance with our invention, broken away;

FiG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View in vertical section, taken on the irregular line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the granite slabs utilized in our `bowling lane.

Referring with greater detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a horizontally extended foundation of concrete or the like, poured to the desired thickness to provide a rigid foundation structure. Although not shown, the foundation 1 may be reinforced by steel rods or the like in the usual manner. The lfoundation 1 is formed to provide a substantially fiat top surface 2 on which are placed a number of longitudinally and transversely spaced support members in the nature of screw jacks 3, said screw jacks comprising base portions or feet 4 and jack screws 5 screw threaded thereinto, said jack screws having the usual heads 6 at their `upper ends.

The working portion or top of the bowling lane comprises an approach deck 7, a lane portion 8, and a pin deck 9, the pin deck 9 being of the same width as the lane portion 8, and the approach deck 7 being substantially wider than the lane portion and pin deck. The approach deck comprises a pair of rectangular slabs lt) and 1l of granite, the lane portion 8 comprising a pair of rectangular slabs 12 and 13 and other slabs i4 of granite, and the pin deck 9 comprising a rectangular slab 1S also of granite. All of the slabs lil-15 have substantially flat bottom surfaces 16 that engage and rest on the heads 6 of the support members or screw jacks 3, each of the slabs resting on a plurality of the support members 3. As shown by dotted lines in FIG, 1, a support member 3 is preferably located under each corner portion of each slab lil-i5. The top surfaces of the slabs lil-i5 are ground and polished to an extremely smooth flat condition and, when the sla-bs are placed upon the support members 3, the jack screws 5 are manipulated to bring the slabs 1li-l5 to a common level, whereby to provide a bowling surface that is uniform throughout lits entire length.

Each of the slabs lil-15 has its opposite Sides and ends adjacent the top surface thereof ground, as shown at 17 in FIGS. 5, for the purpose of truing up the slab. Below the ground surface portions 17, each slab is cut away to provide relief surface portions 18.

As shown, the slabs 1li-15 are placed on the support members 3 in end-to-end abutting relationship. When the slabs are so placed, a thin film of `synthetic resin in a liquid state is applied to the ground surface portions 17 at the abutting ends of said slabs to completely fill any infinitesimal irregularities which may be present between said abutting ends, and allowed to harden. This lm is indicated at 19 in FIG. 4, the showing of the thickness lane produced some parts being thereof being highly exaggerated. that the resin 19 is not used to -15 in end-to-end relationship, therebetween against entry of fine dust particles, and the like.

As above indicated, proper adjustment of the support members 3 enables the slabs 10-15 to be adjusted relative to each other so that the top surfaces thereof are level in all directions and even with each other to a much greater degree than is possible to obtain and maintain with the present day Wood surfaced lanes. After the slabs 10-15 have been properly set in end-to-end relationship and the heights thereof adjusted to produce a uniform level surface over the entire length of the lane, a mixture cementitious grout is introduced to the space between the slabs 10-15 and the underlying foundation 1, co. pletely filling the space therebetween. When the grout 20 has set or hardened, the same provides a solid bed for the slabs 10-15 between the various support members 3. Preferably, the grout 2G is of commercially available concrete, and is further used to fill the spaces between abutting granite slabes and dened by the relief surfaces 13, to aid in anchoring the slabs against movement relative to each other.

inasmuch as granite is a holo-crystalline granular rock, microscopic pores or like openings occur between adjan cent crystals of quartz and other material of which the granite is composed. Such pores are shown as wavy lines projecting downwardly from the top surfaces of the slabs in FIG. 4, and indicated at 21. Preferably, the top surfaces of the slabs 10-15 are coated with commercially available oil resistant sealing material which penetrates into and fills the pores 21.l After the sealer has dried, that which remains on the top surfaces of the slabs is removed, so that the granite itself comprises the working surface of the lane. The filler remaining in the pores 21 seals the pores against entry of any other foreign material, such as oil and the like, frequently found in dust mops and similar utensiles used in occasionally wiping or dry mopping the lane surfaces to remove dust and grit carried on to the lanes in a bowlers clothing or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the slabs 10-13 and 15 are of substantially greater thickness than the slabs 14. In practice, the slabs 10 and 11 of the approach deck 7 are at least 4 inches thick to insure against cracking or breaking of the slabs in the event that a bowling ball is accidentally dropped thereon. Likewise, the slabs 12 and 13, which comprise the first twenty to twenty-four feet of the lane portion 8 are at least five inches thick whereby to withstand the shock of a bowling ball when thrown thereon. The thickness of the slabs 12 and 13 is important inasmuch as many bowlers, particularly beginners, tend to loft the bowling ball when delivering the same on the lane. Between the slab 13 and the pin deck forming slab 15, the slabs 14 carry only the weight of the ball as it moves from the approach deck to the pin deck 15. Obviously, when the lane is being mopped or dusted, the slabs 14 are subject to the weight of a person walking thereon. However, the slabs 14 are not subject to shock loads in the manner of the slabs 10-13 and 15. Hence, these slabs can be of any thickness over a minimum of substantially 21/2 inches. The slab 15, forming the pin deck 9, is subject to bouncing action of the pins thereon and to shock load of a bowling ball transmitted thereto by the bowling pins when the same are struck by a ball, and must be of substantial thickness. Preferably, the slab 15 has a thickness of at least 5 inches.

It is well known among those skilled in the knowledge of granite, that a wide variety of granite exists, some being relatively hard and dense, and others being softer and more porous, the harder granite usually containing a higher percentage of quartz than the softer variety. We have discovered that, to provide a surface on the approach deck, lane portion and pin deck, having the same surface characteristlcs as those of a well finished wood bowling It will be appreciated bond the several slabs but to seal the joints moisture lane, a granite containing a minimum of 26% quartz must be used. We have further found that granite containing up to 32% of quartz provdies the finest surface characteristics. Granite containing more than 32% of quartz in its composition has been found somewhat less desirable, inasmuch as the same is more brittle and must be of greater thickness to withstand impact without breaking. Furthermore, it is difficult to obtain granite of higher quartz content in slabs of sufiiciently large size as to be practical for bowling lane construction. We have further found that granite containing approximately 28% lof quartz in its composition is most highly advantageous for use as a bowling lane surface. We have further found that by using granite of less than 26% quartz content, applications of lacquers and waxes to the top surfaces thereof are necessary to obtain a surface equivalent to that of a maple surfaced lane. By using granite having the higher percentage of quartz, no such additives are necessary; and a bowler slides on the slab 11 in the same manner as on a fine wood approach, and the bowling ball reacts to the hard granite surface of the slabs 12-15 as on a maple lane in prime condition. Moreover, the absence lof lacquers or waxes on the lane surface eliminates the possibility of the track being polished longitudinally of the lane by a bowling ball repeatedly rolled over the same. Hence, no so-called groove is formed on the top surface of the lane, and the bowling ball travels exactly in the direction in which it is delivered by the bowler.

In FIGS. 1 and 3, the numeral 22 indicates conventional gutters on opposite sides of the lane portion 8 and pin deck 9. The slab 11 of the approach deck 7 may be lightly sand blasted to provide a foul line 23, and spots 24 may be sand blasted, painted or otherwise marked on the pin deck 15. Other spots and markings, not shown, may be similarly applied to the approach slab 10 and lane slabs 13 and 14, as desired.

While we have shown and vdescribed a commerial embodiment of a bowling lane, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a bowling lane comprising an approach deck, an elongated lane portion, and a pin deck,

(a) a horizontally extended rigid foundation,

(b) a plurality of vertically adjustable support members on said foundation in spaced relationship longitudinally and transversely of said foundation,

(c) a plurality of slabs of granite on said support members and each being supported by a plurality of said support members in end-to-end abutting relationship and defining said lane portion and approach and pin decks,

(d) and said slabs defining the lane portion proper being of polished granite having approximately 30% quartz in the composition thereof.

2. In a bowling lane comprising an approach deck, an

elongated lane portion, and a pin deck,

(a) a horizontally extended rigid foundation,

(b) a plurality of vertically adjustable support members on said foundation in spaced relationship longitudinally and transversely of said foundation,

(c) a plurality of slabs `of granite on said support members and each being supported by a plurality of said support members in end-to-end abutting relationship and defining said lane portion and approach and pin decks,

(d) and a bed of cementitious material intermediate said slab and said foundation and supporting said slabs on said foundation between said support members,

(e) and said slabs defining the lane portion proper being of polished granite having approximately 30% quartz in the composition thereof.

3. A howling alley comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular slab members defining the lane portion proper being of polished granite having approximately 30% quartz in the composition thereof, said slab members being rigidly supported in end to end abutting relationship and having their upper surfaces highly polished and extending in a common plane from end to end thereof, and said alley having an approach deck at one end and a pin deck at the other end thereof of a thickness at least equal to that of the intermediate abutting slabs.

4. The bowling alley of claim 3 in which the thickness of each of said approach and pin decks is substantially greater than that of said intermediate abutting slabs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,069,674 2/1937 Many 117-2 2,247,636 7/ 1941 Lewis 273-51 2,531,168 11/1950 Snyder 273-51 2,992,001 7/ 1961 Ferris 273-51 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

3. A BOWLING ALLEY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SLAB MEMBERS DEFINING THE LANE PORTION PROPER BEING OF POLISHED GRANITE HAVING APPROXIMATELY 30% QUARTZ IN THE COMPOSITION THEREOF, SAID SLAB MEMBERS BEING RIGIDLY SUPPORTED IN END TO END ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP AND HAVING THEIR UPPER SURFACES HIGHLY POLISHED AND EXTENDING IN A COMMON PLANE FROM END TO END THEREOF, AND SAID ALLEY HAVING AN APPROACH DECK AT ONE END AND A PIN DECK AT THE OTHER END THEREOF OF A THICKNESS AT LEAST EQUAL TO THAT OF THE INTERMEDIATE ABUTTING SLABS. 